The iPad Mindset

A study of tablet owners found that the devices are being most frequently used at home and for in-depth leisurely reading and entertainment.They are also a preferred way to interact with magazine content for their owners; more than 80 percent of those surveyed preferred using their tablets to read magazines and books over printed media.

Although at present tablet ownership hovers at 8 percent, it is projected in a recent study by The University of Southern California Marshall Inistitute to hit 27 percent in 2012, with 70 percent of users aged 18-44. That means  tablets will become a significant, new medium for brands and marketers to reach a demographic that, according to the USC report, consumes twice as much media as the non-tablet owning public.

These findings create new imperatives for marketers, according to the Moxie Interactive report.

Looking at tablets as an integral part of a post-PC era means that marketers should view tablets as a fourth screen, one with a potential to employ targeting data to great effect, Simeon believes.

“The rise of the tablet has brought mobile marketing to the forefront of brand strategists’ thoughts,” said Simeon Spearman, an analyst who helped craft the report. “Strong analytics, and data-driven targeting” as well as content customization will form the bridge necessary to bring traditional media and advertising to tablets successfully, according to Spearman.

“Marketers will need to think of tablets as living room devices and develop strategies in kind, such using apps that can sync to TV shows or focusing tablet advertising on the times when people are home,” said Simeon.

The potential rewards for a shift in significant, Spearman believes, as the study found that 62 percent of the panel actually enjoyed watching ads on their tablets.